Thermal energy storage integrated heat pump

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a heat pump having a thermal energy storage (TES) material. The heat pump can include a first heat exchanger to exchange heat between ambient air and refrigerant, a second heat exchanger to exchange heat between the refrigerant and air supplied to a climate-controlled space, and a third heat exchanger to exchange heat between the TES material and the refrigerant in a first fluid path and the refrigerant in a second fluid path. The heat pump can include a first compressor to circulate refrigerant to the first, second, and third heat exchangers and a second compressor to circulate refrigerant to the second and third heat exchangers. The first compressor can facilitate heat exchange between the ambient air and the TES material and the second compressor can facilitate heat exchange between the TES material and the air supplied to the climate-controlled space.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A heat pump system comprising:
 a first heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat exchange between ambient air proximate the first heat exchanger and a refrigerant; 
 a second heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant and air supplied to a climate-controlled space; 
 a third heat exchanger comprising a thermal energy storage (TES) material, a first fluid pathway, and a second fluid pathway; 
 a first compressor and a second compressor; 
 a first fluid path comprising the first compressor, the first heat exchanger, and the first fluid pathway of the third heat exchanger, the first fluid path being configured to selectively direct at least some of the refrigerant therethrough; 
 a second fluid path comprising the second compressor, the second heat exchanger, and the second fluid pathway of the third heat exchanger, the second fluid path being configured to selectively direct at least some of the refrigerant therethrough; 
 a TES temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the TES material; 
 an ambient air temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the ambient air proximate the first heat exchanger; and 
 a controller configured to:
 receive TES temperature data from the TES temperature sensor; 
 determine, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, whether to actuate one or more control valves to permit refrigerant to flow to the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, or the third heat exchanger; 
 receive ambient air temperature data from the ambient air temperature sensor; 
 determine, based at least in part on the ambient air temperature data, that the temperature or the ambient air is less than or equal to an ambient air threshold temperature; 
 determine, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, that the temperature of the TES material is greater than a TES threshold temperature; 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is less than or equal to the ambient air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the second compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space; 
 
 
 wherein the first compressor is configured to selectively facilitate heat exchange, via the refrigerant in the first fluid path, between the ambient air proximate the first heat exchanger and the TES material in the third heat exchanger, and 
 wherein the second compressor is configured to selectively facilitate heat exchange, via the refrigerant in the second fluid path, between the TES material in the third heat exchanger and air supplied to the climate-controlled space proximate the second heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       2. The heat pump system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the one or more control valves configured to control a flow of the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       3. The heat pump system of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, whether the temperature of the TES material is greater than a TES threshold temperature; and 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the second compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the third heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The heat pump system of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the TES material is less than or equal to the TES threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the first compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to provide thermal energy to the TES material. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The heat pump system of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a coil temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the first heat exchanger; and 
 a reversing valve configured to reverse a direction of the flow of the refrigerant, wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive coil temperature data from the coil temperature sensor; 
 determine, based at least in part on the coil temperature data, whether the temperature of the first heat exchanger is less than or equal to a coil threshold temperature, the coil threshold temperature being a temperature at which frost will begin to accumulate on the first heat exchanger; 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the first heat exchanger is less than or equal to the coil threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the reversing valve to reverse a direction of the flow of the refrigerant, (2) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and (3) activate the first compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to defrost the first heat exchanger. 
 
 
 
     
     
       6. The heat pump system of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the first heat exchanger is less than or equal to the coil threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature: 
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the reversing valve to reverse a direction of the flow of the refrigerant, (2) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (3) activate the first compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to defrost the first heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
       7. The heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is less than or equal to the ambient air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is less than or equal to the TES threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger and between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, (2) activate the first compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to provide thermal energy to the TES material, and (3) activate the second compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the third heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is greater than the ambient air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature: 
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and (2) activate the first compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
     
     
       9. The heat pump system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an indoor air temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of air in the climate controlled space, the controller being further configured to:
 receive indoor air temperature data from the indoor air temperature sensor; 
 determine, based at least in part on the indoor air temperature data, whether the temperature in the climate-controlled space is less than or equal to an indoor threshold temperature; 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the air in the climate-controlled space is less than an indoor air threshold temperature, the ambient air is less than or equal to the ambient air threshold temperature, and the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature: 
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the second compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The heat pump system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the air in the climate-controlled space is less than an indoor air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is less than or equal to the TES threshold temperature: 
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger and between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, (2) activate the first compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to provide thermal energy to the TES material, and (3) activate the second compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the third heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
     
     
       11. The heat pump system of  claim 9  further comprising:
 a reversing valve configured to reverse a direction of the flow of the refrigerant, wherein the controller is further configured to: 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the air in the climate-controlled space is greater than the indoor air threshold temperature:
 output a control signal to: (1) actuate the reversing valve to reverse a direction of the flow of the refrigerant, (2) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and (3) activate the first compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to cool the climate-controlled space. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The heat pump system of  claim 1  wherein the third heat exchanger comprises:
 a shell configured to house the TES material; 
 a first tube bundle configured to receive the refrigerant in the first fluid path; and 
 a second tube bundle configured to receive the refrigerant in the second fluid path. 
 
     
     
       13. The heat pump system of  claim 1  wherein the third heat exchanger comprises:
 a first tube configured to receive the refrigerant in the first fluid path; 
 a second tube configured to house the first tube and the TES material; and 
 a third tube configured to house the first tube and the second tube and receive the refrigerant in the second fluid path. 
 
     
     
       14. The heat pump system of  claim 1  wherein the third heat exchanger is a microchannel heat exchanger comprising:
 a first microchannel tube configured to receive the refrigerant in the first fluid path; 
 a second microchannel tube configured to receive the refrigerant in the second fluid path; and 
 a housing having a plurality of plates and configured to house the TES material. 
 
     
     
       15. A method of controlling a heat pump, the method comprising:
 receiving thermal energy storage (TES) temperature data from a TES temperature sensor, the TES temperature sensor being configured to detect a temperature of a TES material; 
 determining, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, whether to actuate one or more control valves and activate a compressor of the heat pump to cause refrigerant to flow through at least one of a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, or a third heat exchanger; 
 determining, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, that the temperature of the TES material is greater than a TES threshold temperature; and 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature:
 outputting a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space; 
 
 wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to facilitate heat exchange between ambient air and a refrigerant, the second heat exchanger is configured to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant and air supplied to a climate-controlled space, and the third heat exchanger comprises the TES material and is configured to facilitate heat exchange between the TES material and at least one of the refrigerant in a first fluid path or the refrigerant in a second fluid path. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the TES material is less than or equal to the TES threshold temperature: 
 outputting a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to provide thermal energy to the TES material. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15  further comprising:
 receiving, from an ambient air temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of ambient air, ambient air temperature data; 
 determining, based at least in part on the ambient air temperature data, whether the temperature or the ambient air is less than or equal to an ambient air threshold temperature; 
 determining, based at least in part on the TES temperature data, whether the temperature of the TES material is greater than a TES threshold temperature; 
 in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is less than or equal to the ambient air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is greater than the TES threshold temperature: 
 outputting a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and (2) activate the compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the compressor comprises a first compressor and a second compressor, the method further comprising:
 in response to determining that the temperature of the ambient air is less than or equal to the ambient air threshold temperature and the temperature of the TES material is less than or equal to the TES threshold temperature: 
 outputting a control signal to: (1) actuate the one or more control valves to permit the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger and between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, (2) activate the first compressor to cause the refrigerant to flow between the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger to provide thermal energy to the TES material, and (3) activate the second compressor to cause refrigerant to flow between the third heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to heat the climate-controlled space.